Spectroscopic evaluation of sesame and mustard oils treated with Murchana method.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in traditional medicinal practices such as Ayurveda, which emphasizes the use of natural ingredients for various therapeutic purposes. Vegetable oils are an integral part of our diet and have several applications in the cosmetics and healthcare industries. These oils have also been prescribed in ancient Ayurveda texts to treat various health problems. Ayurveda prescribes a processing technique called 'Murchana' to improve the therapeutic nature of the oils. Spectroscopic techniques have been used for quality assessment in many fields. High sensitivity and a low detection rate make spectroscopy a formidable analytical technique. This study focusses on the spectroscopic analysis of sesame and mustard oils prepared using the ayurvedic processing method 'Murchana'. Spectroscopic analysis techniques including UV-Vis absorbance spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and FTIR spectroscopy were employed to study the oils. Origin software was used to plot graphs of the spectra. The results indicated that the murchana process may reduce the components of the oil responsible for its oxidation, thereby increasing the shelf life of the oils. However, further investigations, including other spectroscopy and chromatography techniques, will prove beneficial in ascertaining the effects of the murchana process on vegetable oils. The study's findings also suggest that spectroscopic techniques can be used to supplement chemical techniques to investigate the characteristics of vegetable oils.

Brief review on repurposed drugs and vaccines for possible treatment of COVID-19.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has claimed more than a million lives. Various in silico, in vitro, and in vivo studies are being conducted to understand the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on the cellular metabolism of humans and the various drugs and drug-targets that may be used. In this review, we discuss protein-protein interactions (PPIs) between viral and human proteins as well as viral targets like proteases. We try to understand the molecular mechanism of various repurposed antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2, their combination therapies, drug dosage regimens, and their adverse effects along with possible alternatives like non-toxic antiviral phytochemicals. Ultimately, randomized controlled trials are needed to identify which of these compounds has the required balance of efficacy and safety. We also focus on the recent advancements in diagnostic methods and vaccine candidates developed around the world to fight against Covid-19.

Structural and chemical characterization of rice and potato starch granules using microscopy and spectroscopy.

Starch is a polysaccharide that plays an important role in our diet and aids in determining the blood glucose levels and is the main source of energy to humans and plants. Starch is broken down by hydrolases which are present in our digestive system. We have used α-amylase for investigating the rate of hydrolysis of rice and potato starch granules. It is found that the hydrolysis depends on the morphology and composition of the starch granules by means of the action of α-amylase. The micro-scale structure of starch granules was observed under an optical microscope and their average sizes were in the range, 1-100 µm. The surface topological structures of starches with micro holes due to the effect of α- amylase were also visualized under scanning electron microscope (SEM). The chemical and structural composition of rice and potato starches before and after hydrolysis is characterized using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, respectively. The potato starch is more resistant to α-amylase than rice starch. The XRD spectra of native and hydrolyzed starch granules remain same which suggests that the degradation occurs mostly in amorphous regions but not in crystalline. Compactly bound water in starch was attributed to the sharp band at 1,458 cm-1 in FTIR spectra. Bands at 920-980 cm-1 associated to α-(1-4) glycosidic linkage (C-O-C) and skeletal mode vibrations in both potato and rice starches.